Despite losing the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama, John McCain is a distinguished politician, but the veteran senator from Arizona also has an infamous cranky side, which he displayed a little of Tuesday in his role as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

In what was also a bit of a playful question, McCain asked Apple CEO Tim Cook about what he and many others consider an annoying “feature'” of his iPhone.

“I’m out of time but what I really wanted to ask was why the hell I have to keep updating apps on my iPhone all the time and why you don’t fix that,” the Arizona Republican said.

“Sir, we try to make them better all the time,” Cook replied with a smile, probably pleased the round of queries over his company’s offshore tax avoidance methods was over.

Earlier in the session, Senators Carl Levin and Kelly Ayotte stated they were very happy IPad owners, while Sen. Claire McCaskill spouted “I love Apple!,” according to the Huffington Post.

However, they were all a little less pleased about Apple’s tax avoidance via offshore cash storage that while legal fails to pad the coffers of the U.S. Treasury.

It’s Levin’s contention that Apple Operations International (AOI), Apple Sales International (ASI), and Apple Operations Europe (AOE) are company-created subsidiaries established with the intent to avoid paying more taxes in the U.S.

Cook contended the company pays plenty in taxes, though he was still in favor of immediate comprehensive tax reform.

That responsibility belongs to the Senate, which Levin says could use the billions in dollars in taxes for “other important priorities”.

According to a CNN Money report, Apple indicated it paid an income tax bill of $6 billion in 2012 and $7 billion in 2013. Reporting its profits in Ireland, however, allows the company to pay just a 2 percent tax rate there instead of the possible top rate of 35 percent it would cough up in the U.S.

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By effectively transferring its economic rights to Ireland, and keeping them offshore, Apple can avoid paying taxes in the U.S. for an indefinite period of time.

Cook argued that the company’s tax policies best allow it to serve its shareholders and the American economy by allowing it to create more jobs.
Changes to the company’s phone apps could possibly come sooner than tax reform, it appears.